Under the Falls
by Here Lies the Abyss
Summary: [MxM/Yaoi, adult content, Joachim x Leon] Joachim easily defeats Leon Belmont - draining his blood before going on to kill Walter and claiming the castle's throne. However, when Leon survives, Joachim decides to take him on as his new servant... although the vampire's interest in his blond captive soon begins to grow.
1. Chapter 1 - Beginnings

**Contains: MxM (yaoi), smut, violence/blood, (probably) nonconsensual, various other deviant things.**

Summary: An AU after the end of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, where Joachim beats Leon and ends up killing Walter. However, as the new master of the castle, Joachim decides to let the blond ex-knight live - and takes him in as his new servant. Leon reluctantly consents to the agreement for the chance to find Matthias with Joachim's help, but he steadily begins to fall under the vampire's spell.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Joachim released a deep breath.

It was over. Finally, it was all over.

He stood alone in the throne room of the giant castle - a room he hadn't seen for what felt like an eternity. It was deathly silent, or perhaps it was the silence of death; a circular burn mark on the carpet was all that remained of Joachim's fallen foe.

After that fool of a human had made the mistake of fighting him earlier, Joachim not only easily beat him into submission, but also drained him practically dry. The taste of his sweet, untainted blood had been so intoxicating that Joachim took his time, savoring every drop, and only managed to stop himself with the mortal was at death's door. The only reason why he hadn't completely exsanguinated him? His logic was simple: he needed a food source while he recovered after defeating Walter. The idiotic man wasn't going anywhere after the number Joachim did on him, so the vampire had just dragged him back to the castle's main hall and dumped him there temporarily.

Joachim felt exhausted even as he lowered himself into the throne that was now his. Despite his tiredness, however, a smile curled on his pale lips the moment he felt the touch of cold metal against his back. That smile cracked into a grin, and then… a long, cold, gleeful laugh. The vampire leaned against the armrest and tilted his head back, the sound of his ecstatic voice echoing around the throne room like the frantic ringing of a bell.

Finally, he caught his breath. As much as he wanted to sit here and bask in the glory of finally killing that horrible, vile Walter, there was a lot left for Joachim to do.

In fact, his work had hardly begun.

* * *

It was hard to describe what being run over by a pack of elephants was like, but as he rolled over and tried to force his eyes open, Leon imagined that the current state of his body felt similar to just that.

"Ngh…" He let out a lengthy groan, eventually managing to push himself up into a sitting position. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest. His head, too, was immediately wracked by so much dizziness that he could barely keep from collapsing again.

The blond ex-knight couldn't remember much at first. After finishing his fight with the giant golem in the Anti-Souls Mystery Lab, he'd found his way to the Dark Palace of Waterfalls without too much difficulty. It took him quite a while to find a path through the labyrinthine dungeon, but after he finally opened the door to the final chamber…

"Jo- Joachim!"

Leon cried out a single name as he jumped up to his feet. He immediately wobbled from side to side, but grabbed a lamp pedestal nearby to steady himself. The sight of his torn tunic and scratched, wounded skin brought to him the unpleasant realization of what had happened.

That man - that _vampire_ \- had defeated him. He'd fought with all the strength he had, but eventually, the haughty creature had forced him to his knees. Although Leon was expecting death, what he got was something very different. Joachim had suddenly pulled him into his arms, and a second later, the sharp press of fangs burying themselves into his neck caused Leon to whimper in pain. But a few moments after that, the excruciating sensation had faded to something far more pleasant. It was a delightful warmth that spread throughout his whole body, working its way down between his legs, until eventually -

He tightly shut his eyes and shook his head to rid it of the memory. All that mattered was that he was here now, and still alive. With any luck, he hadn't been turned, either, which meant there was a chance for him to rescue Sara. He'd have to go back to Rinaldo's house to rest and recover, and hopefully he would soon be strong enough again to defeat Walter.

However, as Leon started to stagger towards the castle exit, he suddenly noticed something. The five orbs that were supposed to be sealing the path to Walter… they were all lit.

Leon had only found two, and Joachim's would have been the third. Did that mean… no, that was impossible, surely!

The rational part of his mind pleaded with him to quickly leave the castle and return to Rinaldo. Regardless of who was past that door, there was no way Leon would be able to fight them. But at the same time, if the path wasn't blocked any longer, maybe he could rush in and grab Sara. Maybe there was no need for him to fight anyone.

Yet it was curiosity that drove him the most strongly up the stairs and through the newly unlocked door. His bloodied legs had barely any strength to them, but it was enough to bring him over the threshold of the Pagoda's entrance.

As Leon dragged himself through the towering hallways, he realized with a shock that the place was entirely devoid of monsters. Telltale piles of bones and impaled corpses made it clear that Walter's minions were once roaming everywhere, but now there was not a single living thing in sight. The blood was fresh, too.

His heart started to beat steadily faster. There was no sign of Sara, nor of whoever had done all this. Leon had to recite prayers in the back of his mind to keep from panicking as he broke into a run, ignoring the cries of his exhausted body. The huge flight of stairs leading up to the pinnacle of the throne room was like torment, but Leon eventually managed to reach the top. The moment he pressed against the heavy stone door and found it unlocked, a feeling of apprehension sharply weighed down his stomach.

* * *

The vampire's eyes opened at the sound of the door shifting.

He had fallen into a doze while mulling over his plans while still sitting on the throne. Joachim's head was still a little bleary, but the moment he saw who was standing before him, he immediately jolted to his senses.

"You… You're already awake?" His violet eyes blinked wide in disbelief. Although the human stumbling towards him looked incredibly disheveled and weak, he'd still managed to crawl up here when, by all accounts, he should still be lying unconscious on the floor. Had Joachim underestimated him?

Leon came to a stop at a safe distance away, glancing around the room with eyes that looked like they were struggling to stay open. "Walter… he… did you…?" His voice was hoarse and dry, and he could barely manage to get the words out.

Joachim soon recovered from his surprise. A soft smirk gradually formed on his ethereally beautiful features, proud and haughty. "Are you blind, or just a fool? I wouldn't be sitting here on this throne if Walter was still alive," the vampire snorted contemptuously. "While you were enjoying a nice rest, I retrieved the remaining orbs and challenged Walter. It turns out he wasn't so formidable after all."

That news made Leon's knees tremble, and he looked like he was about to buckle on the spot from relief, even though Joachim was technically still his enemy. "Then… Sara…?"

The white-haired man tilted his head to one side in momentary puzzlement. He realized, then, that Leon was probably referring to the dead girl he'd found on his path to Walter earlier. Presumably, the other vampire had seen that it was Joachim and not Leon who was coming for him, and decided Sara was just going to act as a needless burden - or worse, a weapon that could later be used against him.

"She's no more for this world," Joachim stated simply. He felt no sympathy whatsoever for Leon. Even though he, too, had been a victim of Walter, Joachim had shed no tears and never asked for anyone to rescue him.

"Kh… You're lying! That's not…" Leon gritted his teeth and hissed out an accusation at Joachim. But when the only answer he got was an unamused stare, he started to tremble, and soon sank to the ground. "Sara… No, it's not possible… Sara… Sara!"

As the ex-knight balled his hands into fists and cried out in despair, Joachim rose from his throne with a heavy sigh. This was not the way he'd envisioned his first hour sitting upon the castle's throne. The last thing he wanted was this blubbering fool crying himself to sleep on the ground while Joachim was trying to think. Really, his dedication and strength would be almost admirable, if not for how pathetically emotional he apparently was.

"Stop blubbering. This 'Sara' is gone, dead, and no amount of wailing is going to bring her back." Striding up to Leon, Joachim reached down to grab one of the blond's arms and haul him up. But Leon was so lost in misery that he was practically as limp as a ragdoll, sinking back down immediately, and the vampire pinched at the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. Maybe he'd be better off just killing this one and looking for another source of sustenance, instead…

But as he stared down at Leon's radiantly blue eyes, overflowing with tears, Joachim remembered the exquisitely sweet taste that was still lingering on his tongue. The taste that came from this man and his pure, untainted heart - it was unlike anything he'd ever had before, and he doubted it would be so easy to find again. Moreover, it made the vampire wonder what kind of taste Leon would have if Joachim started to corrupt him… or even better, turned him. Would it be filled with rage? Sorrow? Or perhaps something even sweeter still?

The thought was enough to make Joachim lick his lips. He leaned down again, this time to pick Leon up in his arms, since it was obvious the ex-knight wasn't going to be walking anytime soon. Even though he was being held in a bridal carry, Leon didn't even seem to notice or care, instead continuing to sob heavily with his head falling against Joachim's chest. It was endearing in a pitiful sort of way, Joachim had to admit.

The vampire carried Leon from the throne room out into the Pagoda. He vaguely remembered where the bedrooms were located back from his time as Walter's servant, so it didn't take him long to figure out where he was going. The huge master bedroom was marked with a large and conspicuous door, which Joachim kicked in vehemently before making his way inside. The lavish decor reeked of Walter's tastes for fine silks, exotic furniture, and the omnipresent color red. Joachim could still detect his old master's despicable scent in the air as he tossed Leon onto the bed, and reminded himself to change the sheets as soon as possible.

By now, Leon had apparently recovered some of his composure. He stared up at Joachim with a look of shock and confusion, his cheeks streaked with tears. "What are you doing? I thought - I thought you'd kill me, surely…"

Joachim rolled his eyes. "If I was going to kill you, wouldn't I have done you in back at the Palace? Are you really that bereft of common sense?" He propped his hands on his hips with a little toss of his head. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not in the best shape, either. I've been starving in that damned prison for an eternity, and - as hard as this may be for you to comprehend - a creature like me needs regular prey to stay in good health."

At the vampire's contemptuous words, Leon shrank back a little against the covers. One of his hands started to drift towards the whip that still hung from his belt. "I won't sit around and be your meal, monster," he growled, narrowing his reddened eyes. The act of resistance was so unthreatening that Joachim couldn't help but snicker a little.

"Beyond the obvious fact of you not having a choice in the matter, you should also remember that you're doubly in my debt. Not only did I spare your life, but I even took out your enemy for you - don't you think you owe me a little more gratitude?" He shook his angelic head, watching Leon with a disapproving look.

That reply seemed to catch Leon off guard. It wasn't surprising, considering his innocence and gentle heart, that he paused and contemplated Joachim's words so seriously. His brow soon furrowed again in mistrust, however, and although he lifted his hand from his whip, he continued to scowl at Joachim. "You're an evil creature of the night, just like the one who stole my… my betrothed." It was probably taking all of his willpower not to break down again. "There's no way in God's name I could ever be indebted to you. Nor will I ever help you."

Joachim's patience was starting to wear thin. He realized the blond wasn't going to acknowledge anything he said if they continued like this, so maybe he had to put things more bluntly. Normally, he would've just smacked Leon around a bit to knock some sense into him, but in the other man's current state, Joachim would probably just end up striking him unconscious.

"Fine. Here's a choice for you, then. You can sit chained in the bottom of a dungeon as my personal bloodbag for the rest of your days, never seeing the light of day again. Or... " As he paused for dramatic effect, Joachim grinned faintly. He had neglected to mention the individual he'd met after encountering Walter.

"...You can become my servant, and I'll consider helping you enact revenge on the one who helped Walter kidnap your 'Sara.' Matthias, was it?" The moment the name left Joachim's lips, Leon immediately stiffened, staring at the white-haired man with his jaw agape.

"Matthias…? What? That can't be right. He would never do something so foul."

Joachim lifted his elegant shoulders in a shrug. "Well, he didn't seem the least bit remorseful about stealing Walter's soul to turn himself into a vampire. A very cowardly act, in my opinion. He was also expecting _you_ to be the one to kill Walter, which is why he lured you here through Sara." He paused, curling his lips with a look of disgust. "Something about taking revenge on God for letting his wife die. You mortals and your lack of emotional control…"

The vampire's nonchalant statement soon had the desired effect. After he got over his initial disbelief, including a few long moments of intensely staring at Joachim to make sure he wasn't lying, Leon bit his lip and bowed his head slightly. "I'd think you were lying, but if you were truly locked up in the Palace this whole time, there's no way you could know about Matthias and his Elisabetha without meeting him." He still seemed to doubt Joachim, but Leon was starting to waver, and the perceptive vampire intended to seize the opportunity before him.

"Why would I lie to you? And if I _was_ lying, don't you think I'd put more effort into it?" Joachim started to lean in towards Leon, who pressed back against the pillows defensively when the vampire's face grew closer, leering down at him. "I'm just repeating what he said... and it sounds like talking to him is the only way you'll ever find a resolution to all this, don't you think?"

His cold palm suddenly reached for the blond's cheek, those long, slender fingers tracing along the other male's warm skin. Leon instinctively shivered, but his blue eyes betrayed a mixture of uncertainty and fascination. It was hard to blame him, Joachim thought; he himself had been bewitched like this by Walter, so very long ago.

Finally, Leon took a deep breath, visibly steeling himself as much as possible. "Then... if you'll help me find Matthias, I'll lend my services to you. Even though you're a -"

There was no time for Leon to finish his sentence. Joachim was abruptly pulling him in, cupping his cheeks with his cool palms, in order to press a sharp kiss against his lips. The vampire couldn't help himself. The mixture of innocence and resolution in Leon's features was just too tantalizing, and it took every ounce of Joachim's willpower not to sink his fangs into that milky skin. But in the ex-knight's current state, he would probably expire from just the blood loss, and the last thing Joachim wanted was to lose his newly acquired toy - or was it 'servant'?

When the vampire pulled back, Leon's flushed, speechless face proved to be an incredibly satisfying sight. Although Joachim rarely cared about anything remotely romantic or sexual, for whatever reason, this blond would-be paladin completely sparked his desires. Plenty of other virtuous adventures had met their end at Joachim's hands over the years, but Leon... he didn't know why, but Leon felt _different_. He was unspoiled, and just waiting to be nurtured into something perfect.

"Rest for a while, then. I'm going to go hunt. When I get back, we'll start making plans... and oh, what plans I have in store for us, little mortal." Joachim grinned, tapping a long fingernail against his lower lip, before turning to stride towards the door.

"W-Wait! Don't just -"

Leon called out in a flustered protest, angrily starting to rise to his feet, but the vampire was already stepping over the threshold. He closed the bedroom door and flipped the lock, before using his telekinetic power to yank a nearby curtain rod off the wall. It neatly fit over the door as a barrier, and there was no way the exhausted Leon could barge his way through. For all intents and purposes, he was a pretty, innocent bird trapped in Joachim's cage, and the vampire had no intention of letting him out anytime soon.

With that, Joachim started to walk back to where he'd left his swords - humming a melancholy tune under his breath even as he smiled contentedly.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Souls of Brutes

**Contains: MxM (yaoi), smut, violence/blood, (probably) nonconsensual, various other deviant things**

 _Author's note: This chapter has a little more from Leon's perspective. I like writing both Joachim's and Leon's individual views, but if readers have a preference for one over the other, I don't mind switching things up in future chapters. Thanks for the lovely review, by the by, and I hope to hear more from fellow LoI fans~_

"Om nom." -Joachim

"I died for your sins, Leon." -Deer

"What the fuck?" -Gordon Ramsay, on Joachim's cooking skills

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

As he sank his fangs into the snow-white neck of the unfortunate maiden in his arms, Joachim found his thoughts were surprisingly preoccupied. Not with the girl, either.

Instead, the vampire's mind was dominated by the image of a single man - the blond ex-knight currently captive in Joachim's newly-won castle. Even while Joachim drained his victim and let her lifeless body fall to the forest floor, wiping the corner of his lips delicately with a thumb, he was quite distracted.

He'd left Leon in quite the poor state, and now that the human was technically his servant (or perhaps "pet" was a better word), it was Joachim's responsibility to make sure he didn't die. It was a nuisance, certainly, and the vampire even contemplated heading to a nearby village to grab a few mortals for use as temporary slaves. After all, there was no reason why the new king of the castle should have to feed and nurse his underling. Joachim hadn't saved Leon with the intention of becoming his nanny.

...However, as the white-haired nobleman remembered the endearingly innocent reaction he'd gotten out of Leon earlier, he lost the desire to do anything other than return to the castle as quickly as possible. Joachim was far from the gentle type - in fact, he usually expressed plain scorn for most things - but he also had a rather strong possessive streak. On the rare occasion that something actually caught his interest, he had a tendency to grow obsessively protective, not to mention jealous. It was this quality that drove the idea of letting someone else tend to _his_ new servant out of his mind.

Deciding that housekeepers and cooks could be acquired later, Joachim made one last stop before he headed back. An unfortunate deer met its end at the tips of his floating blades, and its carcass levitated alongside him in a morbidly amusing fashion as he returned home. Joachim's boots never touched the forest floor beneath him, instead hovering almost a foot above the ground, making his passage an utterly silent one.

* * *

"Ngh… damn it, damn it all!"

Leon used the last of his limited strength to deliver a savage kick to the bedroom door. He glared at it, teeth gritted, before his tiredness finally started to get the better of his anger.

After several moments, he let out a long sigh. Dragging himself back to the bed, Leon lay his weary body down atop the sheets, draping an arm over his eyes to block out the unpleasant world around him.

His physical state was suffering, but his mental one was far worse. In the span of several days, he'd given up his knighthood, had the love of his life torn away from him, lost to a vampire, and then… agreed to serve the same vampire in question. Leon was devastated and mortified. No matter how much he called out to God for strength, he quickly sank back into an abyss of despair.

And, as much as he adamantly refused to admit it to himself, his faith itself was growing shaky for the first time. How could a benevolent deity ever let something like this happen to a man who'd dedicated his entire life to holy service? How could he let Leon fall into the clutches of a vampire - a blasphemous monster who by all rights shouldn't even exist?

There was the kiss, too. Leon tried to wipe it from his mind, but he simply couldn't. Homosexuality was a crime, a sin against God. The very fact that he thought Joachim was beautiful was dangerous enough. The vampire, however, seemed to have no such qualms about what he'd done. If he attempted to make advances on him again, Leon would have to stop him, surely… but how? He felt paralyzed when Joachim embraced him, like his mind had emptied itself of everything except the sight of the cruel, lovely creature.

Such troubling thoughts swirled around and around in Leon's head, tormenting him endlessly. But his fatigue and injuries soon outweighed even his distress, and sleep started to creep up over the troubled ex-knight. As he repeated a prayer over and over in his mind, begging for forgiveness from both the Lord and Sara, Leon slipped gradually into a restless slumber.

* * *

After being locked in a watery prison for what felt like eons, it was more than a little difficult to remember what a "traditional" lifestyle was like. But Joachim was fully aware of how nontraditional his circumstances were as he made his way through the castle, wrinkling his nose at the leftover corpses of the various beasts he'd killed earlier. He was making a list in his head of everything he'd need to do to get the castle back to a respectable state; after all, he couldn't really declare his reign over the area while he was living in a questionable palace of squalor like this one. Maybe just one loyal footman would do… Joachim didn't particularly want a bunch of distasteful mortals running around and smelling up the place.

"Ah, this should do. Hmm… yes." The vampire mused to himself as he salvaged some cloth bandages from one of the castle's washrooms. He was unsure why Walter had been keeping them around, but the mere recollection of that horrible man made his stomach churn, so Joachim spent little time dwelling on it.

If someone had told Joachim that his first night in his new castle was going to be spent looking after a mortal, he surely wouldn't have believed them. But yet here he was, carrying an herbal paste, some bandages, and his best attempt at a cooked "meal" for the wounded ex-knight. Yes, he had levitated the deer into a roaring torch and roasted it whole, and yes, he had sliced it into pieces with his flying blades, but all that mattered was that it could be eaten. He didn't claim to be some sort of expert cook.

Although the plate of venison was not exactly beautiful in its presentation, Joachim had also discovered some incredible vintages of wine tucked away in a cupboard, and one bottle floated alongside him, accompanied by two cups. After uncorking it and sampling a little, the vampire happily figured it would wash down the "meal" deliciously, regardless of how the meat was cooked.

It was admittedly a bizarre state of affairs, and several times already, Joachim almost decided to just give up and turn Leon into one of his own to save all of this ridiculous trouble.

What stopped him was the memory of that incredibly sweet, untainted blood on his tongue - but not only that. The delight of pulling the innocent blond slowly down into the depths of depravity was going to be unparalleled, and Joachim intended to relish every moment of it.

* * *

"Wake up, already! I didn't go through all this hassle just so you could die on me."

An annoyed voice slowly pulled Leon back into reality. His blue eyes hazily blinked open, gradually focusing on the scowling face of the pale man before him, shaking his shoulders.

Then, Leon abruptly realized he'd been stripped down to only his trousers. There was a dull stinging sensation on several of his wounds, but they'd all been wrapped tightly in bandages. All of his other clothing and weapons appeared to be discarded in one corner of the room.

"You… what did you do while I was asleep?" Leon winced as he tried to sit up against the pillows propped behind him. He gave a suspicious look at Joachim, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Don't ask foolish questions. Here, eat and drink before you decide to drop unconscious again." Before he knew it, Leon was getting a plate and cup shoved into his lap. As he realized what exactly was happening, however, it took all of the blond's willpower to keep his jaw from dropping.

Joachim had… prepared him a meal? It looked like some sort of steak, but it was hard to guess from what kind of animal. The meat seemed slightly charred, but the smell wasn't unappealing, and it was probably quite edible. A knife and fork rested on the plate, and the cup leaning against it was filled with a dark red liquid that was likely wine.

Leon couldn't believe it. The monster - the vampire had not only tended his wounds, but brought him food, too? Such behavior seemed so out of character for a cold, proud man like Joachim that Leon simply sat in stunned silence for a few moments before finally forming words.

"Why?" he asked simply, causing the vampire to raise an eyebrow. "Why are you doing all of this? Surely - surely it'd be far easier to just let me die and obtain a mortal in good health, if you're so desperate for a servant…"

Joachim testily pursed his lips together as he poured his own cup full of the exquisitely aromatic wine. "Are all knights so idiotic, or do you happen to be a special case?" He shot Leon a flat look, seating himself on the bedside after dusting it off with one hand. "Don't question your good fortune, nor my own misguided mercy." The vampire motioned impatiently for Leon to eat, and the blond's eyes dropped back down to the plate before him, still somewhat in disbelief.

Finally, a small smile rose to Leon's lips. He didn't understand how he could still smile after everything that happened, but the situation was so unexpected that he was unable to keep from feeling slightly amused. Joachim was catching him off guard at every turn, and Leon definitely didn't trust him one bit, but… it was hard to deny that the effort the vampire had gone through was a little endearing. Was it really possible for an unholy monster to possess some remnants of humanity?

"Very well. You have my thanks," Leon murmured at last, feeling slightly awkward about offering such words to the man holding him captive. Still, his stomach was empty and his throat was parched, so he set into his impromptu meal with no further objections.

Joachim watched him with a curious expression, but the blond did his best to ignore those piercing grey eyes. Instead, he swallowed the somewhat overcooked venison and washed it down with the remarkably refreshing wine, a bit of his strength seemingly returning with each bite. Now that Leon's wounds were bandaged, the persistent pain in his body was slightly less overwhelming, and the cloud inside his mind started to gradually clear.

However, after he finished all he had been given, Leon paused. He glanced up to see that Joachim was now staring off into space, seemingly mulling over something with a slightly gloomy look. The silence didn't feel uncomfortable - or at least, more uncomfortable than anything else - but the former knight cleared his throat to hesitantly pose a question that occurred to him.

"Have you… eaten?" The moment the words left Leon's mouth, Joachim abruptly looked back at him, eyes widening. "If you haven't, I… well, I could…" He trailed off, averting his eyes in embarrassment when Joachim continued to stare at him with an increasingly amused expression.

"You would let me drink from you? Even as weak as you are?" A wolfish smirk curled on Joachim's lips. "I believe that crosses the line from selflessness into stupidity."

Leon scowled, shaking his head. "I'm not on death's door. I may not possess your unnatural powers, but these wounds won't kill me. Have you forgotten how sturdy mortals are?" His reply caused Joachim to snort derisively, but Leon continued, compelled by his sense of honor. "If you need it, then drink from me - if only a little." Although Leon doubted his own sanity a little after hearing his own offer, he also felt less shame than he expected. Giving into a vampire was undoubtedly a blasphemous act, and yet for some reason, the blond didn't have the sense that he was doing something wrong. It was simply the repayment of the strange debt to Joachim he found himself in.

The vampire narrowed his eyes faintly at Leon, as if to scour his features for any hint of mockery or malice. To prove his honest intentions, the ex-knight gazed back at him, even though it was difficult to meet that piercing and perceptive stare.

At last, Joachim broke the tense moment by leaning down to set his near-empty cup down on the floor. Leon was briefly confused as to what the white-haired man's intentions were, but that puzzlement soon changed into surprise.

"J-Joachim! Not there, I meant for you to drink from my wri-"

"Quiet." Leon's flustered protest was cut off by a single cool word from Joachim. The vampire had swiftly moved on top him, pinning down his arms and leaning down towards his neck. It was all too similar to how Leon had been fed upon after losing their battle, and when he realized what was happening, the humiliating memory suddenly rose to the surface.

He instinctively started to struggle a little, but Joachim firmly held him down. Cool lips brushed against Leon's ear, followed by a soft but commanding murmur. "You'll reopen your wounds if you squirm like that. Just lie still… since you were the one who offered yourself to me, after all." Joachim's voice took on a pointedly seductive note at the end, making the blond's breath catch in his throat. Like before, the strength left Leon's body, and he soon ceased his movements beneath Joachim.

Something sharp brushed against his neck. It was as if the razor-sharp points of two tiny blades were caressing Leon's skin, tracing along it so delicately that the sensation quickly grew maddening.

"Ngh… make it quick, then…" When Leon heard his own voice, he immediately bit his lip. Why did he sound so breathy and weak? There was no way he spoke in such a high-pitched tone normally… was it anxiety?

For a moment, he had the sense that Joachim was smirking again. He could feel those cool lips curling against his flesh, and even the soft flutter of breath as the vampire exhaled what had to have been a tiny laugh.

And then, those fangs abruptly pierced into him. The sudden pain made Leon cry out, his eyes tightly closing as his fingers balled into fists, but he didn't start struggling again. He bore the lingering agony while the knifelike sensation pierced deeper into his skin, wondering how simply being bitten could possibly hurt so much.

Slowly but surely, however, that pain faded away. What replaced it was an unusual warmth, one that began in Leon's core and started to spread through the rest of his body. It was a numbing tingle at first, and yet as the seconds passed, the feeling slowly grew more delightful. It sweetly pooled around the blond's hips, and with the remnants of his rationality, Leon realized with horror that he was completely hard.

"Ah… haah… Joa- chim…" In little more than a whisper, he breathed out Joachim's name. As soon as it left his mouth, Leon felt the vampire release his hold on his wrists, only to slip his hands down below Leon's hips. Joachim pulled him upwards, grinding down on him simultaneously, and a distinct hardness rubbed against Leon's own bulge with obvious eagerness.

If the ex-knight had more control over himself, he would've liked to condemn the vampire and push him away for such a sinful act. But as Joachim fed slowly on him, causing that humming sense of pleasure to steadily mount inside his body, Leon could do nothing more than moan and weakly arch his back. He dimly heard a heated growl from the vampire, who was clutching Leon as tightly as he could without causing further injury to him.

Somewhere, in the far recesses of Leon's waning consciousness, an odd happiness welled up. For whatever reason, in that moment, he thought that he couldn't hate Joachim no matter what. Even if what they were doing was a crime - no, if Joachim's very existence was a crime - there was no darkness nor spite in Leon's heart that could make him see the vampire as anything more than a pained, lonely soul… just like Leon himself was, now.

The blissful dizziness in his head grew until the world turned dark. As he fell into an even deeper slumber than before, the last thing Leon felt was the vampire's arms squeezing him. Joachim's body was cool, and yet somehow, those arms were so very warm.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Clear Blue Riverside

**Contains: MxM (yaoi), smut, violence/blood, (probably) nonconsensual, various other deviant things**

 _Author's note: No smut yet... but soon. Soon!_

 _In other news, after finishing Curse of Darkness for the first time, I really want to write an Isaac/Trevor pairing. Goddamn, Isaac, you glorious sonofabitch._

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

As the evening sky outside the castle's windows slowly darkened, a certain vampire was descending the grand staircase leading into the main foyer. His sinewy form floated gradually downward, the tips of his toes never once brushing the aged stone. He took his time approaching the exit, submerged in thought as he was, and a distant look misted over his gaze.

After Leon had fallen asleep, Joachim had watched over him for several hours. He wanted to make sure that he hadn't gone overboard and drained the ex-knight of too much blood, as returning home to a corpse in his bed would be an unpleasant surprise. Thankfully, however, Leon seemed to be recovering just fine, and his wounds appeared to be gradually mending.

The vampire had locked the bedroom door again before he left. He didn't mind the idea of Leon exploring the castle, but the restless blond definitely didn't need any encouragement to wander around in his current state. Joachim had forgotten how long it generally took humans to recover from injuries, but he knew they needed rest, so he wasn't about to let Leon frolic around and damage himself even further.

"Good morning," he dryly murmured to the air as he pushed open the castle doors. The cool breeze of the oncoming night rustled through his ivory hair, and Joachim closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the sensation.

Being free still felt like a dream. Sometimes, Joachim found himself wondering if it _wasn't_ a dream. Perhaps he was lying on the cold stone floor of his watery prison, his mind so horribly broken that it had devised this blissful fantasy to make the pain of his imprisonment less torturous. Maybe he would startle awake before long, only to sink back into hopelessness and fury, praying for either Walter's death or his own. Or - what if Leon _had_ killed him, and this was the last delirium of his dying mind?

Joachim vehemently shook his head. Paranoid as he was, he refused to believe this wasn't reality. If he slipped back into that train of thought, anxiety and anger would crush him until he lost all traces of sanity.

And so… it had to be real.

* * *

Leon awoke from his coma-like slumber to the sound of distant, muffled voices.

It took him a few moments to realize that the darkness outside was a fresh night, not the early morning he'd fallen asleep during. That meant he had been out an entire day… what the hell had happened to him?

Of course, such a long rest meant that Leon's body felt a hundred times better than before. There was still some residual pain, but the wounds Joachim had inflicted on him were healing nicely, especially after being bandaged and treated.

At that moment, the memories of the previous night abruptly came flooding back to him. The way the vampire had sunk his fangs into his neck without warning, the strange feelings that had rushed into his body, the sweet sensation that flooded through his hips…

Leon's fingers curled into fists. He could feel his cheeks starting to burn, and he resisted the urge to let out a curse under his breath. The sheer humiliation of it all… why hadn't he fought back? Did Joachim know such a thing was going to happen? Had he done it on purpose?

That bastard. He should have known better than to trust a vampire. Even if Joachim was nursing him back to health, there was no way he could simply roll over and succumb to that fiend of a man. What had come over Leon for him to even contemplate accepting an offer to serve Joachim, just like some kind of obedient thrall? No, he had to escape, or find some way to get the vampire to let him go. Otherwise… otherwise, who knew what unholy plans for him Joachim had in store?

He pushed himself up out of the bed with a long groan, stumbling to his feet. Leon was a little dizzy at first, but he quickly regained his balance. The first thing he did was hurry over to the door, pressing his ear against it to try and make out the voices issuing from the hall.

"...Yes, master… as you wish…"

"...And ensure the... are cleaned… including the main…"

Leon could only catch bits and pieces of a muffled conversation. He recognized Joachim's voice, issuing commands in a stern tone, but he didn't know who the other man was. His voice sounded mildly dazed, as if he were responding automatically; had the vampire enthralled him somehow?

However, he didn't have much time to figure out what the context of their conversation was. A moment later, Leon heard the soft sound of the barrier being removed from his doorway, which meant Joachim was about to step inside.

* * *

It was taking a great deal of willpower for the vampire to keep from humming contentedly under his breath. He'd accomplished a decent amount for one night - namely, acquiring a few slaves from the neighboring town. It wasn't difficult to turn them into loyal ghouls, and they would do a fine job of keeping the huge castle in working condition while Joachim focused on more important things.

And what were those important things? Well, one of them was behind the door that Joachim began to open, after he'd removed the makeshift barrier and flicked the lock. He was expecting to see Leon still fast asleep, since the mortal's body surely demanded rest to help recover faster.

But when he stepped in the room, it looked… empty.

Shocked, the vampire glanced left and right, his gaze quickly flicking to the window to judge if it had been pried open. When he realized it was still closed, Joachim's heart lept in panic, and he started to turn and rush out the door to search for Leon.

"Ngh-!" Before Joachim could take so much as a step, someone suddenly grabbed him, shoving his body against the wall. He instinctively started to struggle, but when he realized who his attacker was, his eyes immediately shot wide. "You… Leon?"

It was his blond prisoner who had Joachim's arms trapped above his head, glaring at him with sharp blue eyes. They were about the same height, but Leon was a little more muscular and agile than the magic-wielding vampire, and Joachim couldn't squirm free of his grasp.

"Last night… what kind of infernal thing did you do to me?" Leon hissed out an accusation under his breath, tightening his grip on Joachim's wrists. The vampire blinked in surprise, caught off guard by Leon's abrupt words, but he soon realized what the ex-knight was referring to. And when he noticed that, despite the blond's furious stare, there was a tinge of pink on Leon's cheeks, Joachim couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Infernal thing? I'm not sure what you're referring to." He shrugged his shoulders innocently, letting his voice fall to a soft, unhurried murmur. "If I recall correctly, you offered to let me feed on you, and I did. That's not really something you can blame me for, is it?"

Leon gritted his teeth together at Joachim's nonchalant reply, clearly growing incensed, much to the vampire's enjoyment. He didn't mind getting to stare into those radiant blue eyes at such a close proximity, even if they were filled with anger. To be honest, he doubted the flustered ex-knight was actually "angry" - perhaps "confused" was a better word, really.

"You know what I mean, vampire. You did… you did _something_ to me, didn't you? You're trying to corrupt me… I know what foul tricks a monster like you tries to play on his victims," Leon growled. Their faces were close enough that Joachim could feel the faint flutter of the blond's breath against his cheeks with each word. "I've changed my mind. I won't serve a creature like you, even if you'd help me find Matthias."

Normally, such an act of defiance would have irritated Joachim immensely. In fact, if Leon had been another mortal, the vampire might've decided to end him then and there, sinking his fangs into that soft neck to drain him into little more than a husk.

However, in these circumstances, Joachim only smiled slyly to himself. This adorable, honest ex-knight was so pure of heart that his feelings were written all over his face. He may have been pinning Joachim to the wall, but there was no real threat of intended violence in his demeanor. In fact, the way Leon was gazing intently into Joachim's eyes made it seem almost as if he were enraptured, and the words that came from his lips were just a desperate attempt to convince himself of something.

"And what makes you think you have a choice?" The white-haired male slowly shifted his leg forward, lifting it a little in order to press his knee between Leon's thighs. Much to Joachim's delight, the blond immediately tensed up, inhaling a sharp breath. "You're still wounded, Leon. You can't fight me. And even if you were the picture of perfect health, I doubt you'd even try," he breathed with a teasing quirk of one eyebrow.

"Don't say such… ridiculous things…" Leon retorted under his breath defensively, but as Joachim continued to rub along the crotch of his trousers with one leg, it was all too evident that the blond was having difficulty keeping his composure. He undoubtedly hadn't been trained for situations like this. "You can't keep me here. When I have my strength back, I'll escape from this place, no matter what."

But his grasp on Joachim's wrists had loosened as he grew distracted, and it was enough for the vampire to pull his arms free. Rather than pushing Leon back, however, he abruptly grabbed the ex-knight's waist, tugging him even closer than before - much to Leon's surprise.

"I won't let you do that, I'm afraid. You see, Leon, I've already gone through the trouble of keeping you alive, and I would rather not see my efforts wasted," Joachim purred. He drank in the sight of Leon's flushed cheeks and confused look with glee, continuing to rub at the slowly hardening spot between the other male's thighs. "Beyond that… don't you think you and I are uncontrollably bound together?"

"Bound… together?" Leon repeated the vampire's words with a slightly struggled exhale, biting his lip. He was doing his best to try and keep a dominant stance, pressing his hands to the wall on either side of Joachim so that the vampire couldn't easily escape, but it was fairly obvious which one of them was really in control.

"Yes, of course. We're the only ones who know what truly happened in this castle, besides Matthias. Both of us are victims of Walter, but even though he's dead, we've suffered wounds that will never fully heal." Joachim's voice softened slightly, taking on a hint of sympathy, albeit mingled with lingering hatred at the mention of his deceased foe's name. "If you leave this castle, you will always have an empty hole in your heart. Not just from unanswered questions and lack of closure, but… from loneliness. Isn't that right?"

He lifted a hand to slowly press his cool palm against Leon's cheek, letting his long, slender fingers drift across that soft skin. For a moment, the ex-knight's eyes fluttered half-closed, and it seemed like he reflexively pressed a little against Joachim's hand, as if the delicate touch brought him some sort of comfort. "After all, I doubt you'll be able to easily love another woman again after the loss of your betrothed… and surely, no woman could ever understand the miseries you've been through," the vampire murmured, tracing his thumb along the side of Leon's jaw.

Those words must have hit close to the truth, because Leon let out a long, slow breath, his head dipping down slightly. Joachim almost felt sorry for him, but he figured such feelings were only because he disliked seeing the pretty blond wilting like a neglected flower. Someone as bright and determined as Leon shouldn't make such dark expressions - they didn't suit him. Joachim found himself even briefly grateful that he'd been the one locked up in the watery prison, not Leon. If the ex-knight had been in his shoes, there was no way he could have survived the anger and despair; someone pure like Leon simply didn't have enough hate in his heart to subsist off it like Joachim had.

"Don't worry, Leon. I don't intend to turn you into a mindless slave, nor do I want to make you hate me." Joachim curled a few fingers under Leon's drooped chin, lifting his head back up, coaxing him to meet the vampire's pale violet eyes. "At least, that's my intention… but you might end up bearing a grudge against me, just for a little while." He smirked rather wolfishly, making Leon's brow furrow a little warily.

"How do I know that you'll keep your word? That you'll really help me find Matthias… that you won't turn into a monster like Walter?" The blond mumbled, gazing back at Joachim hesitantly - almost hopefully. The earnest, worried way he spoke arose in the vampire the urge to pull him into an embrace, but Joachim couldn't act so gentle with him just yet.

"I'm curious about Matthias' motives, too, and what he plans to do now that he's absorbed Walter's strength. After all, he might be a serious threat to us if he decides to come back." Joachim paused, finding Leon's second question more difficult to answer, his expression tightening somewhat. "As for not turning into a monster… I can only hope there's still enough hatred in my guts for that disgusting man to keep me from ever changing into a beast like him." He offered a grim, bitter smile, fervently wishing for the truthfulness in his own words.

A few moments passed where the two men studied each other in silence, barely breathing, their chests close to pressing flush together. Joachim could feel the warmth from Leon's skin beneath his fingers, even radiating from his bare upper half as they almost brushed against one another. It was all too enticing, and he longed to sink his fangs deep into that smooth neck and feed off the beautiful warmth rushing through Leon's veins.

Finally, Leon's head dipped in a reluctant nod. This time, Joachim sensed that the ex-knight had come to a more serious resolution, rather than the feverish, heat-of-the-moment decision he'd made several days prior. "I'll choose to trust you. I can only hope for both our sakes that you won't deceive me." The blond narrowed his eyes faintly at the vampire, who softly laughed in response.

"You don't take me for a gentleman who keeps his word? I come from noble breeding, Leon, and you'd do well to remember that," he scolded mockingly. "Oh, and on that note - why don't you try calling me 'Master'? I think it gives our relationship a nice element of respect."

As expected, Leon's eyes sharply widened at those words, an indignant little gasp following after, and it was all the vampire could do to keep from snickering. "I'm quite serious, you know. If you don't start addressing me properly, I assure you I can come up with some very devious punishments to keep you in line." The blond's cheeks seemed to be growing steadily rosier, and Joachim thought that if he listened closely, he could hear Leon's pride crackling delightfully.

Reaching down, he slipped his hand into the ex-knight's and began to pull him towards the door. "Now, more importantly, I've prepared a better room for you. I doubt either of us want you to spend more time staying in Walter's chambers than necessary. Come, there's a meal waiting there, as well."

At Joachim's coaxing words, Leon followed him somewhat skeptically, but he didn't shake off the cool hand grasping his own. "You've gone through a lot of troubles to look after me so far… _Master_." It wasn't clear from his wry tone whether he was suspicious of Joachim or awkwardly implying his thanks, but the vampire just grinned coyly, leading Leon out into the hall.

"Of course I have. You are mine, after all, and I like to take care of my things - even if they get a little rowdy now and then."


End file.
